Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus including a sending unit for sending e-mail via a mail server on a network, and a method for controlling the data communication apparatus, and a program.
Description of the Related Art
A multifunction peripheral (MFP) is generally known as an example of a data communication apparatus having the function of sending and receiving data, such as images, via a network as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-13582. Recently, even inexpensive MFPs have the function of sending and receiving images via a network. Image sending/receiving functions can be implemented according to various protocols. Among others, a function for sending and receiving e-mail with an image (s) attached thereto is generally known. Strictly speaking, the e-mail sending/receiving function is divided into a sending function and a receiving function.
The e-mail sending function in MFPs means, for example, a function for converting an image read by the MFP into a specified file format and sending the obtained image to a mail server by using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
The e-mail receiving function in MFPs means a function for receiving image data, sent from other devices, via a mail server (a Post Office Protocol (POP) server) according to the POP protocol, and performing, for example, printing based on the received image data.
Recently, in terms of security, when e-mail is sent, authentication, called “POP before SMTP authentication”, is usually performed. “POP before SMTP authentication” uses the POP protocol. More specifically, before e-mail is sent according to the SMTP protocol, a determination is made whether the sender, e.g., an MFP, has passed POP authentication. If a determination is made that the MFP has passed POP authentication, the sending of the e-mail using SMTP is allowed. If a determination is made that the MFP has not passed the POP authentication, the sending of the e-mail is restricted.
An MFP in which hardware resources are scarce may have a function restricted to e-mail sending without containing an e-mail receiving function to achieve a smaller memory and a lower cost.
From the viewpoint of security, even an MFP that does not have an e-mail receiving function may perform “POP before SMTP authentication” before sending e-mail.
For “POP before SMTP authentication”, when the MFP sends e-mail, a determination is made using the POP protocol, whether POP authentication of the MFP, i.e., the sender of the e-mail, has been performed. To perform this authentication, the mail server issues a POP account to the MFP, and manages the issued POP account. The MFP needs to set the POP account issued in advance by the mail server to perform the “POP before SMTP authentication”.
After issuing the POP account, the mail server typically assigns a dedicated incoming mailbox for the MFP, that is, allocates on the mail server a storage area dedicated to the MFP. However, even if the dedicated mailbox is assigned to the MFP by the issuance of the POP account, an MFP that does not have an e-mail receiving function has no means to receive e-mail in the mailbox on the mail server. The MFP that is not capable of receiving e-mail stored in the mailbox cannot check e-mail stored in the mailbox assigned to the MFP. As a result, e-mail continues to be stored in the mailbox without being accessed by the MFP, and eventually, may overflow the storage area on the mail server allocated to the MFP or may cause the management of the mailbox on the mail server to become complicated.